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Organic Physical Chemistry Lab
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The lab uses cutting-edge measurement techniques to capture reactions that take place at the surfaces and interfaces of materials.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the structure and functionality of interfaces and surfaces.
The Organic Physical Chemistry Lab uses cutting-edge measurement techniques to capture, with high sensitivity, how chemical reactions proceed at the surfaces and interfaces of materials.
Building on classical electrochemistry, the lab uses sum-frequency generation (SFG) nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy, single-molecule spectroscopy, microspectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and more.
The lab investigates the relationship between the structure of surfaces and interfaces and how readily reactions occur, aiming to create new materials whose surface structures are designed.
It also works on developing electrocatalysts for secondary batteries, enhancing the functionality of soft matter, and elucidating the mechanisms of light-driven reactions in living organisms, centered on photosynthesis.
Key terms
- Sum-frequency generation (SFG) nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy
- A spectroscopic method that uses laser light to investigate the structure of molecules at surfaces and interfaces. It is sensitive to molecular structure at interfaces.
- Electrocatalyst
- A substance that makes electrochemical reactions proceed more easily at the surface of an electrode.
- Single-molecule spectroscopy
- A method that detects the fluorescence emitted by a single molecule to investigate that molecule's behavior.
NewsLab news
Professor Shen Ye received the 2026 Ertl Prize at the Ertl Symposium
A master's student received the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at a meeting of the Electrochemical Society of Japan
An undergraduate student received the Aoba Science Promotion Society Encouragement Award
A doctoral student received the Best Poster Award (3rd Place) at the ELLIPSE Conference
A photosynthesis paper by Associate Professor Shibata and colleagues was published in Plant Physiology
ResearchResearch themes
Many chemical reactions, including catalytic reactions, take place at the surfaces and interfaces of materials. The lab uses electrochemistry and cutting-edge measurement techniques to investigate the relationship between the structure of surfaces and interfaces and how readily reactions occur, aiming to lead to the creation of new materials.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping high-performance electrocatalysts
The lab investigates how the function of an electrocatalyst depends on the structure of the interface between the electrode and the solution, aiming to develop high-performance electrocatalysts. Using SFG spectroscopy to study the interface between a lithium-ion battery electrode and the electrolyte solution, the lab found that cyclic carbonate solvent molecules are adsorbed more selectively than linear ones.
*Illustrative imageTracking reactions at the surface of cell membranes
Without labeling molecules with dyes, the lab uses SFG vibrational spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy to study reactions and structural changes of the membrane at the surface of model cell membranes made of lipid bilayers. Besides membrane phase transitions, the lab aims to elucidate the mechanisms of enzymatic reactions and of reactions with extremely low concentrations of ozone.
*Illustrative imageSurface structure and functionality of polymers
Using SFG spectroscopy, which is sensitive to molecular structure at interfaces, the lab studies the surface structure of polymer materials, aiming to understand how their functions arise and to establish design guidelines for new polymer materials. In PMEA, which shows blood compatibility, a state has been observed in which carbonyl groups form specific hydrogen bonds with water molecules only at the surface.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring the behavior of single molecules with light
Using single-molecule spectroscopy, which detects fluorescence from a single molecule, the lab studies the mechanisms of light-driven reactions in photosynthetic molecules that are skillfully organized in plants. The lab was the first to detect blinking, in which fluorescence intensity fluctuates, in a photosynthetic protein, and showed that slight structural fluctuations change the efficiency of light harvesting.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Organic Physical Chemistry Lab are faculty, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and administrative staff.As of 2026
- ProfessorShen Ye
- Associate ProfessorYutaka Shibata
- Assistant ProfessorTomar Deepak
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “RIAN archive 804046 Production of FemtoScan scanning probe microscopes (SPM) at Advanced Technologies Center” Ruslan Krivobok / Руслан Кривобок / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Developing high-performance electrocatalysts: “Lithium Energy Japan LEV50 Rechargeable Li-ion battery cell in Tokyo Motor Show 2011” photo: Qurren (talk) Taken with Canon IXY 10S / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Tracking reactions at the surface of cell membranes: “Fluid Mosaic Model” Connectivid-D / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Surface structure and functionality of polymers: “UV down-conversion EPE polymer photovoltaic module encapsulant film” Radiotrefoil / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Measuring the behavior of single molecules with light: “Olympus-BX61-fluorescence microscope” Masur / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Transformation Lab): “"Party" in a chemical laboratory” Botasuleimen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Organic Reaction Chemistry Lab): “Laborglas-divers hg” Hannes Grobe / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Computational Molecular Science Lab): “Molecular dynamics algorithm” Knordlun / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Inorganic Chemistry Lab): “Laboratory Glassware (Medilab Exports Consortium)” PhotoCave / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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